[nabs-l] Success and Why I Left the NFB

[Carly Mihalakis]

Good evening, Antonio,

         Very well said! So often, the Federation seems to assign its 
laborers the impossible. So, you haven't been back to a youth slam? 
Can't say as though I really blame you if they're gonna treat you like that.
How ya doin', Antonio?
loving for today, CarAt 04:46 PM 4/2/2014, you wrote:
>Hi all,
>
>It's hard talking about many things I see happening in the Nfb 
>without turning into somewhat of a griping session.
>
>I have come a little bit late to this thread, as sometimes happens. 
>This is one example of what has been already said. Life goes on 
>with, or without the Nfb. Life goes on whether or not I read or 
>respond to messages from this list.
>
>I am happy to be here, reading, and responding though.
>
>The Youth Slam was but one example of how the Nfb does things too big.
>
>We held three of those events. The membership was responsible for 
>recruiting students, mentoring them, sometimes taking care of their 
>physical, and emotional needs.
>
>The first use slam was a realization of one of Betsi Zabarowski's 
>dreams. She said as much in presentations to the group.
>
>We had over 250 blind students and mentors at the event.
>
>I don't care how you slice it, blindness does add certain challenges 
>to run an event that large.
>
>I got tired and stressed as a mentor in the Youth Slam. We were out 
>of the college dorms by 7 A.M. and some times back at 10:00 P.M.
>
>I got no relief from people who were actually recruited, and served 
>in the event as "Quote "relief Mentors," unquote.
>
>It was go, go, go for several days.
>
>I see the Youth Slam as a reflection of the organization itself. It 
>is a gathering of mostly NFB leaders, and dedicated members 
>mentoring bright, and excited teens.
>
>I feel mentors were treated more or less as hands on deck. We were 
>there to do the dirty work of running the program, and the structure 
>of hierarchy did very much look like a top down approach.
>
>The slam was in many ways a great event, but it was all a thankless 
>job. I left exhausted, and vowing not to return at a future one, 
>should they hold one.
>
>I found myself volunteering to the 2011 Youth Slam, the last one held so far.
>
>Not much changed since four years before. I saw, and heard of enough 
>cases where mentors were saked to quote, "act as mentors," unquote. 
>this was to mean they were to act in an NFB way. Show independence at any cost.
>
>Here's another example of what I said on list once before: We preach 
>much, but some times don't follow our own message.
>
>Explicit displays of public independence sounds a lot like 
>rebellious independence to me.
>
>Consider the supposed scenario of a mentor who helps her student, 
>her mentee,, to a table, and assists in some way with getting that 
>student's tray safely and quickly to the table.
>
>Imagine that a person on the paid NFB Youth Slam staff sees this 
>happen. the staff person in this scenario would most likely 
>reprimand the mentor for taking independence out of the hands of the 
>student. the mentor would have been lectured, and made to feel as if 
>she had to make every single interaction with student to be a teaching moment.
>
>If the mentor did as expected, and teach the student to carry her 
>tray while using the cane, time would run out, and the student, 
>mentor, and pod, small group of four slam participants, would still 
>be reprimanded. this time the crime would have been the slow 
>progress through the lunch.
>
>It was dammed if you do, dammed if you don't.
>
>this story is one I made up. It is similar to the type of pressure 
>we all faced. It may have happened, and more than once. The point I 
>am making is that behind this story is a philosophy of militancy we 
>are accused of displaying in the NFB.
>
>We may want to be tolerant. We may even be inclusive, but there are 
>clear instances when people are encouraged to stay quiet, especially 
>if one is not to quote "support the programs and policies of the 
>Federation." Unquote.
>
>I will most likely chime in on this thread again. I don't want to 
>run on from topic to topic, so see you on another post.
>
>Antonio
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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